A Stroll Through the Stones for all

A week before the seasonal holidays and Kev, walk leader, greeted Doncaster Ramblers members with mince pies as we arrived at the North Anston parish hall car park.
By David Gadd
Published 9th Dec 2019, 11:33 BST
Updated 24th Dec 2019, 11:34 BST
Chesterfield CanalChesterfield Canal
Chesterfield Canal

After the briefing Kev led us through the wonderful, atmospheric and historic, Anston Stones Wood.

On reaching the Chesterfield Canal we stopped for our coffee break, which coincided with the rare sight of a delivery of coal to a nearby cottage.

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After being refreshed we walked past a triple lock system and along the towpath for a while before turning north, stopping to wave at a passing train, before proceeding to The Loyal Trooper for lunch.

Anston Stones WoodAnston Stones Wood
Anston Stones Wood

After lunch we walked a further four miles, enjoying expansive but misty views. We passed a huge redundant quarry, a rare home to endangered crested newts, before returning to North Anston via the butterfly farm and its collection of wallabies.

Thanks to Kev for planning and leading this walk, and to Richard for his usual insouciant backmarking.

Places of interest on this walk included:

Anston Stones Wood, a 33.7 hectare (88.3 acre) biological site of Special Scientific Interest in South Yorkshire.

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The site was notified in 1955 and contains the second best example of limestone woodland in South Yorkshire. It is also a Local Nature Reserve.

The Chesterfield Canal is a narrow canal in the East Midlands of England and it is known locally as ‘Cuckoo Dyke’ It was one of the last of the canals designed by James Brindley, who died while it was being constructed.

It was opened in 1777 and ran for 46 miles (74 km) from the River Trent at West Stockwith, Nottinghamshire to Chesterfield, Derbyshire, passing through the Norwood Tunnel at Kiveton Park, at the time, one of the longest tunnels on the British canal system.

The canal was built to export coal, limestone, and lead from Derbyshire, iron from Chesterfield, and corn, deals, timber, groceries and general merchandise into Derbyshire. The stone for the Palace of Westminster was quarried in North Anston, Rotherham, and transported via the canal.

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The walk also included the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife & Falconry Centre.

Encounter the exotic and discover a wild family day out at this centre. Meet lemurs, meerkats, owls, otters, snakes, and other amazing animals during unforgettable animal encounters throughout the day.

For more information about the Doncaster Ramblers and future activity please visit our homepage and download full copy of our regularly updated walk programme

Visit it at https://www.doncasterramblers.org.uk/walks/walks-programme-printed-version.html

Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/doncasterramblers/ where GPS maps of many of our past walks can also be found.

See next week’s Free Press for another walking report.

Related topics:North AnstonDoncaster Ramblers